LONDON HOSTS MOST REPRESENTATIVE EUROPEAN CONFERENCE TO DATE ON VENEZUELA

Over two hundred delegates from 12 European countries met at a conference in London hosted by the Venezuela Information Centre, Labour Friends of Venezuela, Le Monde Diplomatique and Memoires des Luttes, on Saturday 10 November to support democracy and social progress in Venezuela. Delegates included members of the European Parliament, national parliaments, mayors, trade union leaders and representatives of social movements from Belgium, Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

(Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, left)

Full text of the statement issued at the London Conference is below.

"Support for Social Progress and Democracy in Venezuela"

We believe that the lives of millions of Venezuelans have been transformed by the progressive social and democratic policies of Hugo Chávez’s government.

Extreme poverty has been halved, illiteracy nearly eliminated, participation in education has more than doubled and free basic health care extended to nearly 20 million people, who had no access before. Unemployment has fallen to an historic low.

(Miguel Angel Martinez, Vice President European Parliament, below)

The constitution introduced by President Chavez, approved by Venezuelans in a popular referendum, is one of the most democratic in the world and enshrines rights of previously excluded and minority groups. An emphasis on social inclusion has improved the position of women and Venezuela’s black, mixed-race and indigenous majority.

Venezuela’s government has directly promoted participatory democracy through community councils, urban land committees and other local bodies.

President Chavez’ sweeping social, political and economic agenda, has been endorsed by Venezuelans in 11 democratic elections that have been consistently judged free and fair by international observers. On 2 December the Venezuelan people will once again be called on to vote, on a series of reforms to the 1999 constitution proposed by President Chavez.

Venezuela is one of the few countries in the world where both the constitution, and any revisions to it, must be approved by a majority of citizens in a national referendum. We call on the international community to respect the outcome of the coming referendum and support the sovereign and democratic right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination.

(Giorgio Mele MP, Italy,below)

Participants at the London Conference Included:

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London

Miguel Angel Martinez MEP, Vice-President, European Parliament

Francis Wurtz MEP, President, Confederal Group of the European

United Left-Nordic Green Left in the European Parliament

Sevim Dagdelen MP, Germany

Diane Abbott MP, Britain

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Britain

George Galloway MP, Britain

Giorgio Mele MP, Italy

Francesco Napoletano MP, Italy

Martina Anderson MLA, Ireland

Raymond McCartney MLA, Ireland

Francine Bavay, Vice-president, Région Ile de France, France.

Francois Auguste, Vice President, Region Rhone-Alpes, France

Spyridon Tzokas, Mayor of Kessariani, Athens

Raul Morodo, former Spanish ambassador to Venezuela

Walter Suter, former ambassador to Venezuela, Switzerland

Eva Bjorklund, Left Party, Sweden

Fran Perez, United Left, Spain

Fabio De Nardis, Rifondazione Comunista, Italy

Raquel Garrido, Pour La Republique Social, France

Paul-Emile Dupret, advisor in the European Parliament, Belguim

Roger Ferrari, National Secretary SNES-FSU, France

Keith Sonnett, Deputy General Secretary Unison

Francisco Braz, President STAL trade union, Portugal

Jose Oliveira, International Relations Officer, SNTCT trade union, Portugal

Adrian Kane, National Officer SIPTU, Ireland

Roland Sidler, Unia trade union, Switzerland,

Bernard Harbor, IMPACT trade union, Ireland,

Petteri Otajen, Toimihenkilounioni trade union, Finland,

Joni McDougall, International Officer, GMB

Bruno Julliard, President UNEF, France

Gemma Tumelty, President National Union of Students, Britain

Pelle Rodin, Vice-President, National Union of Students, Sweden

Bernard Cassen, Le Monde Diplomatique, France

Richard Gott, author

Maurice Lemoine, author

Rod Stoneman, Executive Producer, ‘Revolution Will Not Be Televised',

Andrés Vázquez de Sol, Journalist

Julia Buxton, Centre for International Co-operation and Security, University of Bradford

Carmen Pérez Carballo, Director, Club Internacional De Prensa, Xunta de Galicia

Angélica Carmenate Portilla, Delegacion De Cultura, Diputación Provincial de Granada

Dimitris Kalsonis, Executive, World Peace Council